Rogue Status

iTrader: (1)

Not sure which direction to go . . .

Swap Details:
- 1981 Volvo 245 DL
- 2002? 5.3L LM7 w/ 706 heads, stock injectors
- LS1 Intake and F Body accessories
- Hooker Cast Manifolds
- F Body T56 w/ LS7 clutch

Building a daily driver that I can still have fun with. The stock B21 4 cylinder is just not cutting it and the overdrive on the manual 4 speed is acting up after fresh wiring and fluid. (yes, it is an electric operated overdrive that hangs off the back of the trans)

Overall the car is in excellent condition for it's age and a bit of a family heirloom (30 years in the family).

On to my current conundrum:

I am torn between 2 management options. I have done TONS of research on both. Both have pros and cons, both have associated costs. I am currently leaning towards the Stock PCM with a harness from PSI Conversions.

I can pickup a harness for $500 and have a PCM I may be able to use (Stock Blue & Green connector PCM that came with the truck engine). Simple hookup and has the tach and speedo outputs already wired. My biggest concern with the Stock PCM is tuning and flexibility. I don't want to run a MAF so I will need a SD tune unless I can be convinced otherwise. I eventually want to put a cam in the engine, maybe a different intake, ect. just mild bolt-ons. All said and done I am looking at under $1000 (I hope) to get the car running. In addition, I refuse to put any non-factory gauges on the dash. With the Stock PCM and DLC port I can get one of the multi gauges for the occasional trip to the track, autocross, ect. I can simply unlpug it and toss it in the glove box for a stock interior appearance.

Then there is the EFI Source MS3 "Gold Box". $1250 get you a MS3X and a plug and play harness for an LS1. Simple hookup again, but lacks the "OEM reliability". Comes with a base tune but will need to adjust for the proposed setup. Tuning suite costs $50 but can auto-tune and control EVERYTHING. The ECM can do boost control, 2 step, traction control, sequential injection and spark, ect. If I make a change I can easily adjust the tables and make power. It will require 2 wideband o2s ($$$) and can be finicky in regards to idle control, laptop connection, ect.

I think at this point my biggest con for the stock PCM is HPTuners. I am just intimidated by it and the upfront cost to tune one car seems excessive. In addition, the interface seems confusing with high and low octane tables, ect. Tuner Studio uses 2 tables, VE and ignition. If HP Tuners is easy enough I would rather go with the stock PCM, just for idle control, reliability, and peace of mind.

I am sure others here have gone through this. What was your thought process, deciding factor(s) ect.

Sorry for the novel, thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Pic of the car:

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

Can someone say "super sleeper" lol...but if I were you I would go oem wiring and send it out to get modified for stabdalone or buy a painless harness but still use stock computer....it is much cheaper modifying the stock harness yourself but it takes a lot of time soldering and reading schematics, time is money! Good luck bro

Rogue Status

iTrader: (1)

Just got off the phone with John. Great customer service, we discussed the project and intended use. I think I am convinced and will go with a PSI conversion harness. I can get everything I need and have the ability to wire and fire the car for much less $$$ and far less headache than the megasquirt.

gjestico

iTrader: (5)

You may want to have a look at the Holley HP efi computer as well. Same price range and very capable running LS engines. Far more flexible than the stock ecu as well.

Rogue Status

iTrader: (1)

I have looked into Holley. There are a number of reasons I decided against the Holley, price being one.

For $700 I can have an ECU with a proper tune for my setup, a 4 wire hookup harness with all new wire and connectors and OEM reliability and control, i.e. fans, A/C, idle, ect.

Both MS and Holley can't provide that for $1200+

For other applications I think the MS3 and Holley are better suited, but for my specific application, I think the PSI conversion harness and OEM ecu is the best option.

gjestico

iTrader: (5)

Ah, ok so you are not planning on tuning it yourself, ever, saving you the 700+ dollars for the HP tuners software. You will not need a wideband ox sensor (200) either if you plan to just leave the existing tune alone. In that case the stock ecu is a smart choice.

The Holley efi setup with harness and integrated wideband is around 1450.

I would not group the megasquirt product with the holley, as they are worlds apart in construction and support.

autocomman

When you dont post that clean 245 on turbobricks From a fellow volvo nut...dont go with MS unless you love tuning things. NOthing wrong with the GM ecu, its very tunable and once it setup on a dyno if you wanna get that crzy you dont have to mess with it. Idle control has gotten better with MS but i dont know how good it is now, I has an MSII extra driving my volvo with a stroked 2.3 -> 2.5 t3/t4 turbo, T5 trans etc etc. You can dial em in pretty nice with an MS but you cant beat a factory ecu that just works outa the box. Colt starts, hot starts, after start enrichment, idle control, and thats just teh basics, air temp corrections, fuel enrichment/accel enrichment etc etc....it takes lots of time and patience to get it dialed in right...got he LS id say GM ecu, no question...unless your boosting

superbean

Megasquirt. I've utilized both.. paying a few hundred bucks to get re-tuned after simple changes gets old.

From a simplicity standpoint, a plug and play harness like PSI harness would be attractive also.. just remember that if you don't buy a software setup like HP Tuners, any changes you make will cost you tuner's time.